Treadmill Training in Winter

I had to run on the treadmill to recover from a partially torn Achilles eight years ago so I am all too well acquainted with them. No question it's boring but beats the hell out of not running. Normally it's set at a 1% grade to account for terrain. Don't overstride or you'll have lots of treadmill-track spinning underneath while you're in the air and won't get an accurate reading. For more runners it is harder (effort-wise), for a few they swear it is easier. Boring as *$%# but you can get a nice groove going too. One thing is you can toy with your form, turnover cadence, and other stuff at a given pace and see if there is anything that feels more comfortable than what you're normally used to.

Masybe watch a hockey game while you're running. Still, pay attention as stepping off a treadmill going 10.5 MPH (I've done this) might result in a helicopter-styled footplant into and through the nearest wall. You can imagine the reaction of the aerobics class on the other side of the wall when they heard this loud !thuimp! and saw my foot sticking out of the wall. :P

I guess it's ok, but I think the answer is highly personal. I'm certain if I don't mention it someone will bring up Christine Clark (who has been silent ever since the Olympics, more or less) and another elite female from a few decades ago that I can't remember (Kristiensen, I think?).

I personally don't like training on a treadmill. It seems to be of little benefit, particularly in races that are hilly. I trained for a marathon entirely on a treadmill a few years back, and it went horribly. Of course, there were other variables to consider, but I felt very disoriented in terms of pace. Maybe my body was used to being paced and when I had to do the job myself it was confused.

At any rate, I don't recommend it. You can buy one of those headlamps to run in the dark, and train on the treadmill if it gets icy. Or you can buy those rubber things that strap to your shoes to bite into the ice. I find that after training for a winter loaded down with this kind of crap helps a lot, I just have to keep in mind my easy pace is probably going to be slower.

I love treadmill training. I believe, however, that you need to be careful about relying on it too much during winter base training, for two reasons: First, long slow training in cold, tough conditions on land (and snow) can make you strong as an ox and more resistant to injury during later training phases; the even and forgiving surface of a treadmill may not produce the same training stimulus, particularly in the bones and connective tissue. Second, it's easy to overdo the intensity on the treadmill, with a consequent trade-off in overall training volume.

A 2% grade is fine as an adjustment.

Thanks for the insight. My plan as it stands is to do my a.m. run on the treadmill. My tendancy in training is to run too fast on recovery runs. I've found that by running on the treadmill I can force my self to "run slow". I agree with Old Guy about outdoor training making you tougher. It can get pretty bitter here in Northern Minnesota, but there's Bjorklund, Kempainen, Beardsley, etc. I don't think treadmills were as prevelant back then. The 60s/70s/80s runners didn't have treadmills or protein shakes or heart rate monitors, etc and they did just fine. Sometimes we tend to let technology take the place of hard work. Thanks again for the opinions.

For marathon runners who have the misfortune to live in the cold dark north, there is no doubt that a treadmill can make the winter months much more bearable. Marathon running is about training your body to run at pace x for y amount of time. Those who maintain that you NEED to be outdoors are misinformed because a treadmill is quite a good tool for most marathoners, especially if you are just building base for a spring marathon. If I was trying to get in shape for XC then the mill is not so good, but for a marathon it has its benefits.

Give me an hour at 5:40 pace on the mill over an hour slogging through snow and slush on the roads at 7:40 pace any day.

Quick question: Has anyone ever had an injury resultant of treadmill training?? I recently began logging most of my miles on a treadmill including my long runs (20 mi) and a couple of weeks after I started using it my left knee became so painful I now can't run more than a couple of miles. Could the grade adjustment (usually 2% for me) or stride adjustment (I seem to shuffle more/can't fully stride out) be the reason? I'm 8 weeks away from a marathon and $h!tting my pants. Any feedback is appreciated....

-Scott

Someone mentioned her earlier, but I'd like to confirm that Ingrid Kristiansen used the treadmill very often. Remember, she held the womens 5k,10k, and marathon world records at the same time. She would sometimes run on there 5 days a week during the winter.

She said it helped her feel relaxed at faster speeds and that she could get into a good rhythm on the mill.

Also, remember, just because something is hard, doesn't mean it is the best. Running on ice, snow, slush, and in the freezing cold will be tough, but running faster and smoother on the mill will probably translate better to a marathon.

I've got an old Peak Running Performance newsletter with an extensive and exact table of equivalencies. As an example, 9 mph is 9:40 pace, but is eqivalent to only 6:57 on tread at 0%, 6:42 at 1 %, 6:28 at 2%, etc. The table has every speed from 5 to 12 mph at .1 increments, and incline from 0% to 10%. So you could say, "If I'm running 9.2 mph at 3% grade, it's the equivalent of 6:09 pace" or whatever numbers you wanted to plug in. The math is based on an Orthmann who teaches a Tennessee State U. I can barely add, so I won't vouch for the formula.

Henry Marsh did most of his running on a treadmill.

There is a lot more cushioning on a treamill than on an asphalt road, so I would expect that the injury rate would be lower. I would also not touch the grade and work on turnover. MY treadmill doesn't elevate but goes 15 mph. There are also treadmills that allow you to run downhill. You can also use a treadmill to tow yourself by hanging on and get used to high turnover rates.

I have found that you need to be careful when transitioning

both to and from the treadmill - if you have been running

mostly outside and then suddenly start doing a lot of

miles on the mill you can run into problems because it is

a bit different and your body needs time to adapt.

Conversely, and even more so, when you have been doing most

of your miles on the mill, you need to be careful at first

when you start running outside again.

I would try running with no gradient on the mill and see

if that helps - I usually don't use any gradient

because I find the treadmill is more stable when its

flat, and I have fewer issues with my achilles. I may

run a bit faster than I would outside, but it all depends

on the day.

I think people get too hung up on using the gradient to

compensate for the lack of wind resistance. The reality

is that running on the treadmill is not the same as running

outside, regardless of what gradient or pace adjustments

you make, and you can't really do a direct translation.

You can do plenty of good training on the treadmill, but

the bottom line is it is never going to be exactly the

same and it is better to go by perceived effort and make

comparisons relative to other treadmill workouts rather

than trying to compare mill workouts with outdoor workouts.

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Quick question: Has anyone ever had an injury resultant of treadmill training?? I recently began logging most of my miles on a treadmill including my long runs (20 mi) and a couple of weeks after I started using it my left knee became so painful I now can\'t run more than a couple of miles. Could the grade adjustment (usually 2% for me) or stride adjustment (I seem to shuffle more/can\'t fully stride out) be the reason? I\'m 8 weeks away from a marathon and $h!tting my pants. Any feedback is appreciated....

-Scott

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Thanks for the info., I\'m going to give it a few days rest

then try and lay off the grade. I may even go a little crazy and head outdoors...............

Patrick - I've used the treadmill here a couple hours south of you and I find it to be a great way to get in winter miles, work on form and cadence, and to lock into a nice pace and just cruise. However, like others say, it just isn't the same as running outside so I make it a point to get outside at least a couple of times a week, especially for a weekend long run. It seems like no matter what is on TV or the radio, I can't get past about 90 minutes without going absolutely nuts. I'd say its a good optioin to use at least part fo the time, especially in a snowy hilly bitterly cold city like yours. Very impressive run at Chicago. Good luck. - Chris

i think treadmill training in water is not a good idea.

besides that how would you fit it in the tub. Ok

Weltex, thanks for the info regarding conversions. I did a search on treadmill conversions and found this helpful website. Looks like the same thing you found in Peak Per.

MN Chris,

What's your email? Hope your running is going well "down south".

no wind resistence on treadmill, makes it somewhat easier

BurkeBC wrote:no wind resistence on treadmill, makes it somewhat easier

You'd think so, but that's not my experience. I tested this on myself several times. At the exact same HR, I am 15-30 seconds/mile FASTER outdoors than on the mill. I thought it might be heat buildup on the mill, but I use two large fans so I doubt that's it. Go figure.

And I have to concur that it's a much better alternative to running on ice in the dark.

Ken Martin also trained himself to a 2:09 Ney York City marathon and 2nd place by running almost exclusively on a treadmill.

thats weird, because if you are running you would have close to a 12mph "headwind" compared to running on a treadmill. I see your point about the heat though, running outdoors would help achieve homeostasis easier but logically you would be doing more work to run a 6min mile outdoors than on a treadmill. Your heartrate is probably similar, but wouldn't the fuel consumption differ?